How the 2000s changed tactics #8: Pace
There isn’t a great deal to say about this one – it pretty much does what it says on the tin. In the past ten years, pace has become arguably the most important quality for young footballers.
The reason for this probably lies in the increasing tendency for teams to play on the counter-attack. The idea of the counter-attack is not a new invention – as long ago as Herbert Chapman-era Arsenal in the 1930s, there was a belief that teams could attack for too long, and there was value in drawing the opposition onto you, in order to open up space for your forwards to exploit. But the nature of modern football – more technically gifted players, pristine pitches perfect for passing on, and defenders less able to escape bookings for cynical fouls – has meant that counter-attacking has become a major feature of almost every top club in Europe, and pace obviously plays a key role in this.
The Arsenal side of seventy years later offers a good comparison. Theo Walcott versus Sebastian Larsson. Who is the better player on the ball? Walcott is a good dribbler; Larsson is more able to pick out an intelligent pass. But because Theo Walcott can sprint 100m in eleven seconds, and Larsson is quite sluggish (by Premiership standards), Walcott has been given four seasons’ worth of opportunities to impressin the Arsenal first team, whilst Larsson was discarded after only three league appearances, with an Arsenal coach hinting at the time that Larsson’s lack of pace made him incompatible with Arsenal’s system.
Take away the issue of pace, and there’s not that much difference in ability between the two. Indeed, it could be said that Walcott relies on his pace as much as any Premiership footballer today – Pete Gill at Football365 (perhaps slightly harshly) commented in the wake of Arsenal’s 0-3 defeat to Chelsea, ‘It’s just incredible that a football player of Theo Walcott’s stature has so little football talent. But for his pace he wouldn’t be a professional player. He has nothing else.’ Walcott’s own father puts it more politely, saying that ‘pace has been his killer edge over others’.
But of course, you can’t take away the issue of pace, which is why Larsson is now at a mid-table club, and Walcott remains challenging at the top of the league.
Would the goals below have been scored had the attacking players involved not been blessed with considerable speed?
Quick quiz question on a related note. At the start of the 2003/04 season, Arsenal performed standard physical tests on each of their footballers. One of them involved how quickly each player could sprint over a distance of sixty metres. In first place was Thierry Henry, second was Jermaine Pennant. But who was the third quickest? Ten options: Dennis Bergkamp, Gael Clichy, Ashley Cole, Edu, Gilberto Silva, Lauren, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord. Answer after the videos.
And the answer is……..astoundingly, Dennis Bergkamp.
How the 2000s changed tactics #8: Pace
Nice article and a very good series too. Shall I try and second guess your next seven? Let me see; specialists, counter attacks (or transitions shall I say), movement+technique, forwards, central defenders, athleticism and something about space.
Interesting guesses – not many of them are the categories I’ve chosen as such, but I agree with you on the topics you’ve listed there. Perhaps just coming at it from different angles. What would you have said about central defenders? I don’t think their role changed much this decade, although probably will in the 2010s.
I like the Central Defender thing. Its Arsene Wenger’s newest innovation – The attacking Centrebacks!
umm attacking centrebacks have been around for yonks, ever since sweepers got converted to centrebacks. maldini, puyol, ferdinand, carvalho and even terry to list just a few are used to playing a high line and playing as defensive midfielders during attack.
I think you are right on the central defenders side and that is what I was slanting towards; the future. The shift won’t and hasn’t been too large so. But from a defensive standpoint, there are much one can right about such as organisation, zones, marking etc.
I had a friend who swore that Sol Campbell used to be the quickest player at Arsenal. Bless.
You friend is right there…
I defintely agree with this article but it really disappoints me at the same time. I would much rather watch a player with sublime technical skill as opposed to a player with bags of pace and little skill (Walcott). I hate that most wingers today are all pace and zero end product, that is not how the game should be.
Pace has always been important. The only difference between now, and say, the 30’s or the 60’s, is the speed at which players can run. The athletic bar has certainly been raised with better and more scientific athletic training since the 90’s; however, there is nothing new about pace being important. The gains may get smaller and smaller over the years (100th’s of a second as opposed to 10th’s), but a pacey team with minimal skill will always equal, and even beat, a slow technical team.
their are plenty of fast players out there some faster then others but not all of em are in the top. simply put their are different levels of pace, how fast a player is over 20m/40m/60m/100m is usually dependent on height and acceleration. Part of the reason walcott is scary is he has a fast acceleration in all the ranges and is consistent. For instance messi is probably the fastest player over 10-20metres in the world with the ball at his feet but after that inital 20m he is at top speed and then players like c.ron, essien, walcott, eto’o and quite a few blow past him. But how often do players get more then 20m to dribble these days?
Bergkamp faster than Llundberg and Ashley Cole?? Over 60 metres? Get out of it!!